State nomination for this visa is managed by the Queensland Government through Business and Skilled Migration Queensland (BSMQ) in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

Eligibility criteria

To be considered for Queensland state nomination you must first meet the Australian Government’s DHA criteria. Visit the DHA website for detailed information.

Business Innovation (Provisional) visa (subclass 188)

To seek Queensland state nomination you must:

demonstrate that you have net business and personal assets of at least A$800,000 to be transferred to Queensland within 2 years of your visa being granted, including a minimum of A$200,000 for investment into a business

commit to living in Queensland.

Please note:

Entry level businesses will not be accepted for Brisbane and Gold Coast regions, including small wine export, travel, tourism, retail and hospitality ventures. These types of businesses will only be considered for other regional areas in Queensland.

Application process

Step 1: Review your eligibility criteria, visa conditions and document checklist on the DHA website and the BSMQ website. Ensure you meet both the DHA criteria and BSMQ criteria, and have all your documentation ready before you apply.

Step 2: For Queensland state nomination, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect. Please ensure all information is included in your EOI. Preference will be given to applicants who select “Queensland” as their nominating state of choice over applicants who select ‘ANY’ state.

Step 3: BSMQ only assesses EOIs that meet the DHA and BSMQ criteria. You will receive an invitation to lodge an application with BSMQ. You will be requested to provide the following documents which are to be uploaded electronically through the Document Portal link provided in your invitation email.

Qld State Nomination Application Form

Business proposal

DHA Form 1139A

Please note: we no longer accept attachments sent to us by email or hard copies send via post.

BSMQ will review your application and may request further information.

Please note: you will be given 14 days to finalise your application from the date of invitation. If you are unable to provide the relevant information within this time frame, you must seek an extension from BSMQ. Applications not finalised within time frames will be closed and applicants will need to submit a new EOI if they wish to re-seek Queensland nomination.

Step 5: Once your completed BSMQ application is received and approved, you will receive an invitation from the DHA to lodge your visa application. You will be given 60 days to lodge your visa application with the DHA.

Nomination extension

You can apply to extend your stay for an extra two years under a Business Innovation Extension stream. You can only apply for this extension stream once, giving you a maximum of six years on this provisional visa.

Please send an email (migration@qld.gov.au) to BSMQ to request and provide reasons for an extension of your visa. You will also need to provide us your full name, date of birth and current visa subclass. BSMQ will assess your current circumstances and make a decision as to whether you are eligible to apply for an extension. If you are eligible, we will send an email requesting further information. A processing fee will apply.

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